Opinion: Be a child care voter this year

Moms know that child care is a life-shaping issue for their own families. Many are at risk of being forced onto public assistance if they can’t find the affordable care that makes it possible for them to stay in the workforce. But too many moms don’t know which candidates support the solutions they need. 

As moms of young children, we’ve both experienced America’s child care crisis personally. We know all too well that it can be impossible to find high-quality programs nearby – programs that are open when you need them to be and programs your family can afford. We’ve experienced the panic when a program suddenly closes, and felt the heartbreak when staff members our children love have to leave because they simply can’t afford to do this work any longer for less than a fast food restaurant would pay them. 

And while JD Vance blithely says that “grandma and grandpa should help out a little bit more,” we know firsthand that when a grandmother leaves the workforce to care for her granddaughter, she sacrifices income she needs to make ends meet, now and when she retires. For families whose children have developmental, emotional and/or learning challenges, our nation’s child care crisis hits especially hard.

That’s why we do what we do, leading MomsRising Together’s work to make high-quality child care in the United States accessible and affordable for all families. In that work, we’ve met hundreds of moms and caregivers in every part of the country. We’ve learned that child care is a never-fail conversation starter for moms, no matter where they live, whether they are in an urban, suburban, or rural community, or any other demographic. And it’s a conversation that goes on and on, as moms discover the challenges they’re facing aren’t personal failings but rather a society-wide problem our lawmakers have failed to adequately address.

No wonder there’s no shortage of “mom rage” when it comes to our country’s child care crisis. The question is: How do we translate that into mom power? This year, how can we “mom the vote” for child care? 

After all, the stakes are high. Senator Vance recommended rolling back the regulations that make child care programs safe for our kids. Former President Trump said “child care is child care” at the Economic Club of New York last month. Somehow, the conversation turned to golf when the moderators asked about child care during the Trump/Biden debate in June. 

But there are stark differences between candidates at the local, state, and federal levels – and to solve the child care crisis, we need child care champions in the White House, in Congress, and in state and local office. 

Voters deserve to know where their candidates stand on child care – and the details matter. That’s why we brought together moms and parents to identify solutions and determine what a “gold star” child care plan looks like. From that, we established the Moms’ Seal of Approval on Child Care – a new initiative that is identifying candidates who will stand with families by advancing child care policy solutions that address affordability, accessibility, and quality. 

This new program is designed to support the election of more officials who will advance real child care solutions, and in doing so, lift families, businesses, and our economy. The list of candidates who’ve earned the Moms’ Seal of Approval so far this year is here. We’re adding to it through the election.

We need to put many more officials in office who understand the harm when child care costs more than public college tuition in many states, and when nearly half of Americans live in child care deserts where there is a significant shortage of providers. We need leaders who recognize that families, businesses, and our economy suffer when millions of moms and caregivers are forced out of the workforce, jeopardizing their financial security and exacerbating our labor shortage. Leaders who know that child care is a public good that makes our country stronger and more successful.

Moms know that child care is a life-shaping issue for their own families. Many are at risk of being forced onto public assistance if they can’t find the affordable care that makes it possible for them to stay in the workforce. But too many moms don’t know which candidates support the solutions they need. 

Our Moms’ Seal of Approval is a mom-made, mom-approved answer to that question. We hope it will raise the profile of child care as a campaign issue and challenge candidates to commit to child care solutions that meet the needs and standards of America’s moms. It’s about time.

Nina Perez and Lauren Hipp are National Directors for Early Learning at MomsRising, the on-the-ground and online grassroots organization of more than a million people working to improve family economic security, stop discrimination against women and moms, and build a nation where businesses and families can thrive.